re Ariz. college using RFID for class attendance

[Dave Farber <dfarber () me com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Gerry Faulhaber <gerry-faulhaber () mchsi com>
> Date: May 4, 2010 10:11:17 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] re Ariz. college using RFID for class attendance

> Dave [for IP]--
>  
> In ALL my classes at Wharton, participation in class discussion was an integral part of learning, for which outside 
> reading is not a substitute.  If a student didn't attend, an important part of learning, the interaction with the 
> professor and other students, was foregone.  As a consequence, I had a rule that if a student missed too many 
> classes, they flunked.  I therefore took attendance.  Usually, taking attendance uses up a lot of class time, but I 
> was fortunate to have TAs who took it for me.  There are ways to use technology to automate attendance-taking, but 
> none of them are perfect.  Counting noses is the only way that really works.
>  
> Now I actually didn't care if a student attended class.  The undergrads were there on their parents' nickel, and many 
> were at University only for the sex, drugs and rock and roll.  If a student wanted to waste an opportunity to learn 
> that would never in their lifetimes be repeated, that's their business.  But don't expect to graduate.  If a student 
> chose to cut my class repeatedly, he/she would flunk the course.  Everyone knew the rules; if they didn't want to 
> live within those rules they didn't have to take my courses.
>  
> And you know what?  Lots of students took my classes, I had good teacher ratings, students actually seemed to learn 
> stuff, and after the first 2 weeks of the course there was little whining about attendance.  My experience of 25 
> years University teaching is that taking attendance increases attendance, increases both the breadth and depth of 
> class discussion, and increases student learning.  Which, I would remind everyone, is why students are in University, 
> n'est ce pas?
>  
>  
> Professor Emeritus Gerald Faulhaber
> Business and Public Policy Dept.
> Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
> Professor Emeritus, Penn Law
>
> From: Dave Farber
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 6:26 PM
> To: ip
> Subject: [IP] re Ariz. college using RFID for class attendance
>
>
> I agree!!! djf
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > From: Dennis Allison <drallison () gmail com>
> > Date: May 4, 2010 5:20:49 PM EDT
> > To: dave () farber net
> > Subject: Re: [IP] Ariz. college using RFID for class attendance
>
> > Why should he University care whether students attend a lecture or not?  By the time a student reaches the 
> > University, they should be responsible for their own schedule and actions.   Seems to me to be a technological 
> > solution to a non-problem.
> >
> > On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 11:40 AM, Dave Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
> >
> > Subject: Ariz. college using RFID for class attendance
> > > Ariz. college to position sensors to check class attendance
> >
> > > Devices would be installed in underclassmen lecture halls; some say infringes on privacy
> > >
> > > http://badgerherald.com/news/2010/05/04/ariz_college_to_posi.php
> Archives      



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